"God, I couldn't believe it. I mean, I couldn't believe it. And then I did believe it," Del Mastro said.
For five hours, Del Mastro followed a stream of urgent instructions from the caller, ultimately wiring $5,400 to Mexico from multiple locations. She was told her daughter would be released at a nearby grocery store. When she arrived and could not find Sarah, she called her directly — her daughter picked up and said she was at work. The kidnapping had never happened.
Erin West of Operation Shamrock, which investigates technology-enabled fraud, said scammers are now routinely harvesting voice samples from social media posts, videos, and phone calls to build convincing clones. "What they can do with just a few seconds of your voice, they can clone it. And they can essentially produce sound that sounds exactly like you," West said.
West described the broader pattern as a "scamdemic" and warned that it will continue to worsen as AI voice tools become cheaper and more accessible. She advised the public to treat any call combining extreme urgency, emotional pressure, and a request to move money as an immediate red flag — regardless of how familiar the voice sounds. She also recommended families establish a private code word that only they know, to verify identity in a genuine emergency.
Martinez police are investigating the case, but Del Mastro said she does not expect to recover the money. Her family now shares locations through their phones. "Let our horrible experience be a warning to all of you," she said.
This analysis is based on reporting from ABC7 News.
Image courtesy of Tima Miroshnichenko.
This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.
